10-02-2023, 11:16 AM
The next morning, Mansi kept checking her phone every few minutes to see if there was a message from Dutt Sahab. Now that she had made up a half-true story about the job, she might as well go through with it. She felt a little guilty for lying to Amar. And she also felt a little surprised and insulted that he never asked how much her salary would be. Maybe he assumed that given the low level simple job she described, it would be paltry. Well, she could surprise him a few years later. he never checked bank accounts anyway. So he had no idea what the balance of Pinky's college account was. Years later, once she had saved up lakhs, he would thank her, she told herself.
She went to the closest ATM and deposited the money into that account. Then she started cooking a simple meal for herself.
It was a little past noon and she was having a quick lunch when Mansi's phone buzzed. Eagerly, she checked it.
- Hello Mansi. This is Navin Dutt. Sorry I was unable to text earlier. Was busy with meetings and calls. I will be there at your building in ten minutes. Come down whenever you can. No hurry.
Just ten minutes? Mansi immediately put her plate away and went to the bedroom to get ready. He had said no hurry, but she did not want to keep him waiting. After all, it was almost like a job interview, this trial trip with him. What would he feel if she was late?
Little did she know that the experienced businessman negotiator, an expert at mind games, had done this on purpose. He had not been busy or anything. He wanted to see that if he gave her such short notice, how quickly she would comply. He wanted to test just how much of a hold he had over her.
- Will be down soon
She texted back and changed into a nicer sari. It wasn't quite as fancy as the other two she had worn. But was decent enough for a trip to the high end shopping stores he was sure to take her to. She tied her hair into a neat bun and wore a couple of her nicest bangles. From her window, she saw a big limo pulling up in front of her building. Quickly she applied some powder and a light lip stick and ran down.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting." Mansi breathlessly said as she got into the limo.
Dutt threw a quick glance at her heaving chest, beads of sweat on her neck, and looked up at her flushed face. He realized she had come almost running. He took it as a good sign that she did not want to keep him waiting. Oh, if only she would not make him wait for other things too, he thought.
"Relax, Mansi. There's no hurry, I said." and he gently rubbed her shoulder. It was a quick rub. Mansi had by now grown accustomed to the fact that the old man occasionally did such things. But it was just for a short while so she told herself it was all very innocent and paternal.
"So...where should we go?" Mansi said, wiping the sweat off her brow. It was a particularly humid day, even by Bombay standards.
"You are the local. You tell me where I will find great clothes and toys for children." Dutt said.
Her first instinct was to take him to the places she bought Pinky's clothes from. But then she remembered that this was a super rich tycoon. All those places might be too low end for him. So she told the driver the location of an upscale mall in Goregaon which had a few American and European outlets.
"Please excuse me." Dutt said, putting his bluetooth on his ear. "As always, work beckons."
"No problem, Duttsahab." Mansi said.
The car soon sped down the western express highway as Dutt talked business and Mansi stared out the tinted windows. Once again, she noted how different Bombay looked from the insides of a plush limo as opposed to from the insides of an auto rickshaw or local train like she was used to. That's when her phone rang. It was Reena aunty.
"Hello aunty." she answered in a low voice to not disturb the busy Duttsahab.
"So Mansi, you were so eager that you made this arrangement without me?" Reena said in mock disappointment.
"What? No...I thought..."
"Relax, sweetie, I am just kidding." Reena laughed. "Is Duttsahab free?"
"No, he is on the phone."
"Okay, no problem. I spoke with him earlier about this. So you are accompanying him shopping for his grandkids, right?"
"Right."
"For the compensation for today, I had this idea. If you like something for Pinky, you can buy it and he will just pay for it. If not, I will give you the cash when we next meet. Or you can just sms me the details of that bank account you have set up for the college funds. I will communicate it to him and he will transfer the cash directly."
"Oh ok." Mansi said. She told herself that clothes from where Dutt shopped would be too expensive for Pinky. Better to just sms the account details.
"Good luck." and Reena hung up.
They reached the mall and went up to the fancy outlets for kids' clothes. Mansi had seen these outlets from outside when they occasionally went to watch a movie at the multiplex in that mall. But she had never had the courage to actually walk in. Now that she was inside, she noted to herself that she didn't feel as out of place as she used to. Maybe the time spent with her two older friends in recent days had made her more uncomfortable in such settings.
Dutt also noted that Mansi was a lot more comfortable and self-assured. He took out his phone and showed her several pictures of his grandkids so she had an idea of what would fit and suit them. She made a mental note of it all.
"How many clothes do you want to buy for them?" she asked.
"As many as you find to be great." Dutt said with the casualness of a multi millionaire.
Mansi nodded and browsed through the shelves and the rows, trying to find something perfect. She saw the prices, which were really high, but on the tags, she also noticed that many of these clothes were made in Italy or France. All this while, a salesman was hovering politely a few feet away. Finally Mansi found a sweatshirt that would be perfect for one of his granddaughters.
"This one is really good." she said, taking it off the shelf and holding it up.
"Looks very pretty." Dutt nodded.
The salesman hovered closer.
"Would you like that one, sir?" he asked Dutt, because it was obvious who was in charge.
"Ask madam."
"Ma'am?"
"It's not bad. But the price seems a little too much. Give us a more realistic price." Mansi really liked the dress, but she was so used to haggling as a daily routine, that she almost instinctively said this.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" the salesman was taken aback.
"The price says...3500 rupees. How about...1500?" Mansi said in her best haggling voice.
"Ma'am...Sir..." the salesman was so confused.
"Would you excuse us for a moment?" Dutt smoothly said.
The salesman nodded and walked away. Dutt then walked up to Mansi and said softly but firmly,
"Mansi, what are you doing? This is not some bargain stall from Linking Road. These people don't bargain. The prices are fixed."
Mansi blushed and felt very embarrassed. She was so used to bargaining for clothes than she did not know this would be out of place.
"I...I am sorry." she stuttered.
"It's okay. I understand." Dutt said, and put an arm around her shoulder to gently press it in solidarity.
She went to the closest ATM and deposited the money into that account. Then she started cooking a simple meal for herself.
It was a little past noon and she was having a quick lunch when Mansi's phone buzzed. Eagerly, she checked it.
- Hello Mansi. This is Navin Dutt. Sorry I was unable to text earlier. Was busy with meetings and calls. I will be there at your building in ten minutes. Come down whenever you can. No hurry.
Just ten minutes? Mansi immediately put her plate away and went to the bedroom to get ready. He had said no hurry, but she did not want to keep him waiting. After all, it was almost like a job interview, this trial trip with him. What would he feel if she was late?
Little did she know that the experienced businessman negotiator, an expert at mind games, had done this on purpose. He had not been busy or anything. He wanted to see that if he gave her such short notice, how quickly she would comply. He wanted to test just how much of a hold he had over her.
- Will be down soon
She texted back and changed into a nicer sari. It wasn't quite as fancy as the other two she had worn. But was decent enough for a trip to the high end shopping stores he was sure to take her to. She tied her hair into a neat bun and wore a couple of her nicest bangles. From her window, she saw a big limo pulling up in front of her building. Quickly she applied some powder and a light lip stick and ran down.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting." Mansi breathlessly said as she got into the limo.
Dutt threw a quick glance at her heaving chest, beads of sweat on her neck, and looked up at her flushed face. He realized she had come almost running. He took it as a good sign that she did not want to keep him waiting. Oh, if only she would not make him wait for other things too, he thought.
"Relax, Mansi. There's no hurry, I said." and he gently rubbed her shoulder. It was a quick rub. Mansi had by now grown accustomed to the fact that the old man occasionally did such things. But it was just for a short while so she told herself it was all very innocent and paternal.
"So...where should we go?" Mansi said, wiping the sweat off her brow. It was a particularly humid day, even by Bombay standards.
"You are the local. You tell me where I will find great clothes and toys for children." Dutt said.
Her first instinct was to take him to the places she bought Pinky's clothes from. But then she remembered that this was a super rich tycoon. All those places might be too low end for him. So she told the driver the location of an upscale mall in Goregaon which had a few American and European outlets.
"Please excuse me." Dutt said, putting his bluetooth on his ear. "As always, work beckons."
"No problem, Duttsahab." Mansi said.
The car soon sped down the western express highway as Dutt talked business and Mansi stared out the tinted windows. Once again, she noted how different Bombay looked from the insides of a plush limo as opposed to from the insides of an auto rickshaw or local train like she was used to. That's when her phone rang. It was Reena aunty.
"Hello aunty." she answered in a low voice to not disturb the busy Duttsahab.
"So Mansi, you were so eager that you made this arrangement without me?" Reena said in mock disappointment.
"What? No...I thought..."
"Relax, sweetie, I am just kidding." Reena laughed. "Is Duttsahab free?"
"No, he is on the phone."
"Okay, no problem. I spoke with him earlier about this. So you are accompanying him shopping for his grandkids, right?"
"Right."
"For the compensation for today, I had this idea. If you like something for Pinky, you can buy it and he will just pay for it. If not, I will give you the cash when we next meet. Or you can just sms me the details of that bank account you have set up for the college funds. I will communicate it to him and he will transfer the cash directly."
"Oh ok." Mansi said. She told herself that clothes from where Dutt shopped would be too expensive for Pinky. Better to just sms the account details.
"Good luck." and Reena hung up.
They reached the mall and went up to the fancy outlets for kids' clothes. Mansi had seen these outlets from outside when they occasionally went to watch a movie at the multiplex in that mall. But she had never had the courage to actually walk in. Now that she was inside, she noted to herself that she didn't feel as out of place as she used to. Maybe the time spent with her two older friends in recent days had made her more uncomfortable in such settings.
Dutt also noted that Mansi was a lot more comfortable and self-assured. He took out his phone and showed her several pictures of his grandkids so she had an idea of what would fit and suit them. She made a mental note of it all.
"How many clothes do you want to buy for them?" she asked.
"As many as you find to be great." Dutt said with the casualness of a multi millionaire.
Mansi nodded and browsed through the shelves and the rows, trying to find something perfect. She saw the prices, which were really high, but on the tags, she also noticed that many of these clothes were made in Italy or France. All this while, a salesman was hovering politely a few feet away. Finally Mansi found a sweatshirt that would be perfect for one of his granddaughters.
"This one is really good." she said, taking it off the shelf and holding it up.
"Looks very pretty." Dutt nodded.
The salesman hovered closer.
"Would you like that one, sir?" he asked Dutt, because it was obvious who was in charge.
"Ask madam."
"Ma'am?"
"It's not bad. But the price seems a little too much. Give us a more realistic price." Mansi really liked the dress, but she was so used to haggling as a daily routine, that she almost instinctively said this.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" the salesman was taken aback.
"The price says...3500 rupees. How about...1500?" Mansi said in her best haggling voice.
"Ma'am...Sir..." the salesman was so confused.
"Would you excuse us for a moment?" Dutt smoothly said.
The salesman nodded and walked away. Dutt then walked up to Mansi and said softly but firmly,
"Mansi, what are you doing? This is not some bargain stall from Linking Road. These people don't bargain. The prices are fixed."
Mansi blushed and felt very embarrassed. She was so used to bargaining for clothes than she did not know this would be out of place.
"I...I am sorry." she stuttered.
"It's okay. I understand." Dutt said, and put an arm around her shoulder to gently press it in solidarity.
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